Improvement in exhaust mechanisms for locomotives



' A. 0. DENN).

Exhaust-Mechanisms for Locomotives.

' Patented Nov.24,1874. '1051,

' 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ASA O. DENIO, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, EDWARDRUSHTON, AND STILLMAN A4HODGMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN EXHAUST MECHANISMS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,160, dated November24, 1874; application filed October 15, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASA O. DENIO, of Wilmington, New Castle county,Delaware, have invented certain Improvements in Locomotive- Boilers, ofwhich the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a new and improved plan of carrying intosuccessful practical operation modes heretofore proposed, and to someextent practiced, of obstructing, or partially obstructing, the tubes oflocomotiveboilers for the purpose of counteracting the detrimental eectsof the violent intermittent discharge of exhaust steam, the evil resultsbeing, rst, a waste of fuel, amount-ing to nearly iifty-flve per cent.,caused by the too rapid passage of the products of combustion throughthe tubes, and by the premature esy cape of unconsumed fuel in thecondition of gases and ignited sparks; second, the dis-4 turbing, or, asit is technicallyr termed, the drawing, of the lire, and interferingwith theproper and economical combustion of the fuel 5 and, third, theinjurious cutting effect which particles of fuel in rapid motion have onthe lire-box and tubes.

In order to thoroughly explain my improvements it will be necessary torefer to prior intions of this class, an early example of which is thatdevised by Mr. Gooch, of the Great Western Railroad, England, whoapplied a damper directly to the tubesheet in the smoke-box of alocomotive-boiler, the damper opening andv closing in sympathy with thepulsations of exhaust steam, and being also under the control of theengineer. (See D. K. Clarkes locomotive engine, 1852.) Subsequentlyexperiments were made with permanent hoods secured within the smoke-boxand arranged at a short distance from the tubesheet, the patent grantedto H. N. Winans, November 8, 1864.

Neither of these devices appear to have been successful, as there is norecord of their continued use.

It will be unnecessary to refer to instances of the use of permanenthoods, or to automatic obstructions, which open and close in obedienceto the pulsations of exhaust steam, for a series of experiments made onthe Phil-` adelphia,-Wlmington and Baltimore Railroad have determinedthe fact that obstructions for neutralizing the action of the exhauststeam or the fuel must, to be of any practical avail, be under thecontrol of the engineer.

An obstructing frame or plate with adjustable vanes controllable by theengineer has been placed in the smoke-box at a short distance from thetube-sheet, with the view of dispensing with the petticoat or draftpipe, which is an indispensable element of the combin-ation of partscomprised in my invention, the above-mentioned tests having provedsatisfactorily that without the draft-pipe the controllable obstructionscan be of very little avail.

In my present application this draft-pipe plays its proper part, asillustrated in the accompanyin g drawing, in which- Figure lisatransverse section of the smokebox end of a locomotive-boiler with myimprovements, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of Fig. l.

A represents part of the shell of the boiler; B, the smoke-box; D, thetube-sheet; a, the tubes, and b the opening in the shell for thechimney. E is the exhaust-nozzle, and Gr the draft-pipe, having aflaring lower end, d, and arranged concentrically with the said chimneyand exhaust-nozzle. A series of vanes, e, are situated between thedraft-pipe G and the tube-sheet D, each vane being hinged at its upperand lower ends to a frame, m, fitted to the inside of the smoke-box. Thelower portion of the frame is at a distance from the shell of the saidsmoke-box, so as to leave a segmental opening, m, which, viewed inconnection with the draft-pipe, performs an important duty, explainedhereafter. The chamber W, between the vanes and the tube-sheet, isclosed at the top by a plate, y, which may, however,'have smallperforations. One-half of the vanes are connected together by atransverse bar, n, and the other half by a transverse bar, n', and thesebars are connected to a lever, q, which, by the aid of 2 remco otherappliances, can be operated by the engineer, who can thus open and closethe vanes at pleasure.

It is not essential that these vanes should be vertical. They may, forinstance, be arranged horizontally, or some maybe vertical and othershorizontal. In fact, it is not necessary to adhere to vanes asadjustable obstructors of the draft; but whatever devices may be usedfor this purpose, it is imperative that the obstruction should takeplace at a distance from the tube-sheet, and that the amount ofobstruction, and the time for operating the same, should be at thejudgment and control of the engineer.

In carrying out my invention the aim has been to fulfill the followingrequirements:

First. The effects ofthe violent intermittent pulsation of exhaust steamshould be counteracted. Two` evils are attributable to this cause,namely, the disintegrating, or, as it is technically termed, the drawingof the ignited fuel, and the forcing of disintegrated portions throughthe tubes and out through the chimney, and the too rapid motion throughthe tubes of the products of combustion, which, consequently, do notperform their full duty, but pass at a high temperature through thetubes and out the chimney. The mode of counteractin g these evils hasbeen in a measure accomplished by the devices referred to above; butthese devices were objectionable, and have fallen into disuse, owing,mainly, to the discarding of the second requirement.

Second. This is the controlling of the obstructions by the engineer-anessential requirement-for on starting the engine, or on ascending aninclined plane, where the dis= charges ofthe exhaust are very violent,or on descending an inclined plane, different adjustments are required,and the engineer should have the power of manipulating the said obstructions as circumstances may demand. Experience has demonstrated thefact that the greater the obstruction consistent with the requirementsof the power of the engine, the more will be the economy of the fuel,hence the importance of enabling an expert engineer to exercise economyin the consumption of fuel by the adjustment of the obstructions.

Third. It is essential to the success of my invention that there shouldbe a space or chamber, m, between the tube-sheet and the obstruction-afeature not exhibited in some of the abovedescribed apparatus, in`whichthe obstructions closed against the tube-sheet, and consequentlymaintained the sparks within the tubes, thereby entirely choking themand detracting from the efficiency of the engine. It must be borne inmind that a choked tube cannot be remedied except by artificialcleansing. By arranging the obstructions at a distance from thetube-sheet, and by closing or nearly closing the top of the chamber thusformed, the sparks are not only free to escape from the tubes, but aredirected downward to a point whence they can be removed by the fourthrequirement.

Fourth. This is the ready disposal of the sparks which accumulate at thebottom of the chamber and induce the choking of the lower tubes, andthis requirement is fulfilled by so arranging an open space, m, at theunder side of the vanes in respect to the flaring lower end of thedraft-pipe G that the exhaust steam tends to force the sparks throughthe said draft-pipe and out' through the chimney. The sparks being thuscarried off as fast as they fall down to the bottom of the chamber w,the lower tubes must always be clear, which is rarely the case inlocomotives.

It will thus be seen that the four requirements stated above arerequisite to'fully carry my invention into successful practical ei'ect.

A permanent obstructing shield, situated at a distance from thetube-sheet, with an opening below, may be used, providing the shield isperforated and the opening is provided with a damper under the controlof the engineer; but as this device forms the subject of a separateapplication for a patent, further allusion to it here will beunnecessary.

I claim as my invention- The combination, in alocomotive smoke-box, ofadjustable obstructing devices, controllable by the engineer, arrangedto form a chamber, w, in front of the tube-sheet, and extending abovethe tubes, an opening or openings, m, below the obstructing devices, andthe draft-pipe, by which, in conjunction with the,

exhaust steam, the sparks are carried from said chamber, allsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof l have signed my 'name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ASA. 0. DENIO. IVitnesses:

HUBERT HowsoN, HARRY SMITH.'

